You Painted Your Teeth Lyrics
If you want to breathe, baby
Don’t paint your teeth [2x]
I’ve got my gun [2x]
If you want to laugh, baby
Don’t paint your teeth
Don’t paint ’em
You don’t paint your teeth
Your teeth are white
And they’ll stay that way
If you don’t paint ’em
Don’t paint your teeth
Don’t paint your teeth, mama
Don’t paint your teeth
I painted my teeth
I said I painted my teeth
You painted your teeth
And you think you’re fine
But you gotta die
You gotta die
Six black horses and a coal black hearse [2x]
There’s a black body
It’s got a big black shroud
But the only thing coming
It’s your teeth, mama
It’s your teeth
You’re going to go to heaven
Everything’s going to be white
White white white white white white, baby
But not your teeth
You painted your teeth [2x]
Not a single comment on a Jandek song. How could this happen? I'm in love. His music is amazing... Almost frightening at times...
Jandek is crazy.
Have no clue what it's about, but it's rather refreshing.
This song is most likely about or inspired by the Radium Girls,(look on Wikipedia). In the early 20th century, girls that worked in a factory that made glow in the dark watch faces would paint their teeth with the glow in the dark paint (believing it was safe) to play tricks on friends and loved ones. The paint was radioactive and they died from the exposure.
Interview with Wire magazine confirms this is just a silly song inspired by actors who'd whiten (or "paint," as it were) their teeth for a role. One of my favorite quotes from said interview - "If they think I'm crazy, that's their problem. Why would they even comment on it? If you think someone is crazy, what are you doing getting involved?"